NEW YORK — Target’s chief executive officer met Thursday with the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose civil rights organization has encouraged consumers to avoid U.S. retailers that scaled backed their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Sharpton called the meeting with Target CEO Brian Cornell “very constructive and candid,” according to an update from his National Action Network. Two other NAN representatives, National Board Chair Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson and Senior Advisor Carra Wallace, also attended the meeting at the organization’s New York headquarters.

Constructive and Candid Discussion

“I am going to inform our allies, including Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, of our discussion, what my feelings are, and we will go from there,” Sharpton said in a statement.

Bryant, an Atlanta area pastor, organized a website called targetfast.org to recruit Christians for a 40-day Target boycott. Other faith leaders endorsed the protest, which started with the beginning of Lent on March 5.

A National Action Network spokesperson confirmed earlier Thursday that Sharpton, the group’s founder and president, planned to meet Cornell in New York this week. The news was first reported by CNBC.

A Target spokesperson couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

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DEI Initiatives Under Scrutiny

Target is among a slew of companies, including Walmart, Amazon and PepsiCo, that have eliminated policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity among their employees and reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.

After returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump moved to end DEI programswithin the federal government. He has warned schools to do the same or risk losing federal money.

The National Action Network said Sharpton met on Tuesday with PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta and Steven Williams, the CEO of PepsiCo North America, to “get clarity on its stance on DEI, whether they were shutting down their commitments due to pressure from Trump and right-wing activists, and the path moving forward.”

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Next Steps and Corporate Partnerships

Earlier this month, Sharpton gave PepsiCo three weeks to meet with him — or suffer a boycott — to discuss reversing the company’s recent move to do away with its DEI initiatives.

The National Action Network said Thursday that Sharpton planned to consult the organization’s board members over the Easter holiday “to determine any next steps with Target, PepsiCo, and other companies that have scaled back their DEI programs or pledges.”

Target announced on Jan. 24 that it would conclude the DEI goals it had set to increase Black employees’ representation and advancement, improve Black shoppers’ experiences and promote Black-owned businesses. The company also said it planned to stop submitting reports for external diversity surveys.

It is also “further evaluating our corporate partnerships to ensure they are directly connected to our roadmap for growth,” according to a memo posted on its website.

A number of other boycotts were launched of retailers that have pulled back on DEI.